REF: A practical agent-based requirement engineering framework

Abstract

Requirements Engineering techniques, based on the fundamental notions of agency, i.e., Agent, Goal, and Intentional Dependency, have been recognized as having the potential to lead towards a more homogeneous and natural software engineering process, ranging from high-level organization needs to system deployment. However, the availability of simple representational tools for Requirements Engineering still remains a key factor to guarantee stakeholders involvement, facilitating their understanding and participation. This paper introduces REF, an agent-based Requirements Engineering Framework designed around the adoption of a simple, but effective, representational graphical notation. Nevertheless, a limited expressiveness of the graphical language may constrain the analysis process, reducing its flexibility and effectiveness. Some extensions are proposed to enhance REF capability to support requirements engineers in planning and implementing their analysis strategies, without affecting however REF clarity and intuitiveness. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2003.